Uktar 1, 1372 DR (8:00 AM) Szith Morcane: The Inverted Tower

The next morning, Yol, Veracity, and Tebryn replace the spells they'd
cast the previous day and all assemble for breakfast in the
instructional room.

"Back to Dagger Falls," says Igor. "That's a three hour trudge, if I
recall."

"If it's just you, me, and Kress," says Brianna, "I can speed our
journey. I can conjure a phantom steed for each of us that
will run seven times faster than we can walk."

"Cool!" says Hazen. "I'll ride behind Kress!"

Veracity rolls her eyes. "They don't need your 'help' in Dagger Falls,
Hazen. Besides, if Brianna conjures a phantom steed for Kress,
only she or he could ride it. You stay here with us."

"Aw, all right," agrees Hazen.

"You can spend the day wooing your intended," says Veracity, smirking.
"Today's the day Yol magically restores her robustness. Right?"

Hazen sputters. Yol nods. "Let's do that now."

The three find Dessa. Yol sprinkles Dessa with some diamond dust,
gestures at her while incanting, and touches her. Dessa draws a deep
breath and lets it out, slowly. "Thank you," she says to Yol. "I feel
much, much better."

"What are your plans now?" asks Yol.

Dessa grunts. "Don't know."

"Are you going to re-establish your house?" continues Yol.

"Maybe," responds Dessa. She frowns, pondering. "You going to help?"

"We've helped you a lot already," says Yol. "But we need to deal with
Maerimydra before we come back to help you. That seems like the
immediate problem."

Dessa grunts and turns away.

The three Dargasians look at each other and shrug. They rejoin their
companions.

"OK, let's go," says Veracity. "I'll come with you up to the surface.
If that roper challenges us, I'll talk to it. It didn't object to
drow passing by it, but it may harass you three. Not that you
couldn't deal with it, but why look for unnecessary trouble?"

The four travel from Szith Morcane to the surface without
challenge. At the door to the Dordrien Crypts, Brianna summons three
phantom steeds.

"Well, we're off," says Brianna. "We'll be back here tomorrow, about
this time."

"Have fun," says Veracity. "I'll be waiting for you." The two
friends exchange a kiss and Veracity watches her companions ride off.
When they disappear from her sight, she re-enters the Dordrien Crypts
and returns to Szith Morcane.

The travelers ride like the wind for about half an hour and arrive at
the gates of Dagger Falls. As they dismount from their phantom
steeds, Igor speaks. "Somebody was watching me," he says. "I
spotted a scrying sensor, tracking me. Gone now."

"Don't worry about it," says Kress.

"I'm not worried", responds Igor. "I was merely commenting."

Brianna approaches the closed gates.

"Halt! Who goes there? Oh, it's you," says the gate keeper.

"Indeed," says Brianna. "We are back - and we are successful. We'd
like to speak to Randal Morn."

"Please come in." The gate keeper opens the gate and invites the
party inside. Another guard runs directly to Randal Morn's manor.
Soon, the lord of the town himself comes to the gate.

"Welcome back! Please - come to my manor and tell me all."

Randal Morn escorts the heroes into a reception room and bids them all
to be seated. He sends for refreshments and, when these have arrived,
sits back. "Now, what can you tell me?"

"We have succeeded in stopping the drow raids," says Brianna. "We
have traced them to their origin and crushed the source. There are
deeper waters running beneath these raids, though, and I will tell you
of this presently. But, perhaps I could start by singing a little
song of our deeds?" She unslings her lute and raises an eyebrow at
her host.

"Certainly," agrees the lord.

Brianna tunes her lute and launches into her ballad. Although her
performance was only average for her, by any normal standards it was
outstanding. As she sings, she keeps her eyes on Randal Morn's face
and he watches and listens, completely entranced. Upon seeing this,
she weaves a subtle magical Suggestion into her song that such doughty
deeds deserve a rich and generous reward.

When she finishes her song, Randal Morn sits back and sighs. "Bravo!"
he says. "This clearly deserves a reward!" He sends his assistant to
retrieve a bag of gold, apparently previously prepared, which he hands
to Brianna.

"Thank you," says Brianna, as she pockets the gold.

"Additionally, I can call in favors from the temple of Tyr worth up to
five thousand gold coins, for healing or spells, if you need it," adds
the lord.

"I believe that we are all in full health and at full power,
currently," says Brianna, "but if we get injured beyond our own
capabilities to heal ourselves in our subsequent quest, we will
gratefully accept your help."

"Ah, yes," says Randal Morn. "I have many questions about this. Where
are your other companions, mentioned in your song? Who, exactly, is
Veracity, of whom you sang so much?"

"She is an elf," says Brianna. "She is the leader of our party." From
the corner of her eye, she sees Kress rolling his eyes at this, but,
fortunately, Hazen's henchman holds his tongue. "There are seven in
our party, as you no doubt heard in my song. Four of them have
remained in the Underdark, guarding against any incursions from below.
We have, indeed, suppressed the drow outpost that had been launching
the raids on your lands, but we must descend deeper into the darkness
below to deal with larger threats."

"What of this larger threat?" queries the lord.

Brianna pulls out the scroll tube and extracts Dorina's letter. "This
letter was sent from a deeper drow city to the commander in the drow
outpost near the surface. We crushed that commander and all her
forces, but now we are going to head to the deeper city and stop this,
once and for all."

Randal Morn peers at the letter. "I can't read this. It's in Elvish
script, but the language is unfamiliar."

"It's in Drow," says Brianna.

Randal Morn looks at her and raises his eyebrows. "Can you read it?"

"Bards learn many languages, lord, as we speak to diverse people,"
responds Brianna. "But in any case, many of our party could have cast
the spell that can translate any written language. I know what this
letter says. It is urgent that we proceed deeper into the Underdark."

"I see," says Randal Morn, nodding. "I am glad you came back to report
this news to me. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Perhaps," says Brianna. "Igor has brought back all the loot we
collected below. We'd like to sell it, and equip ourselves with
various supplies. Can you facilitate that?"

"Of course," says Randal Morn. "The merchants of my town will
cooperate with you fully, I guarantee. Well. Go forth and complete
your business and return this evening. We will fete you tonight and
you can return to your party tomorrow morning."

"Gladly," says Brianna, smiling.

Escorted by some of Randal Morn's retainers, the three heroes go to
the marketplace. Igor spreads out the portable hole and extracts all
of the captured loot. Numerous interested merchants come to him and
buy it all. Igor then folds up and stows the portable hole and the
three go shopping for their own supplies.

Both Brianna and Igor buy a lot of mundane equipment. "If we've got
that portable hole, why didn't we have something like this, when we
needed it for Dorina's coffin?" asks Brianna, hefting a sledge hammer,
with difficulty. Igor smiles and twirls it around his head, before
stowing it.

Additionally, each adventurer purchases some minor items from a
small-time magic merchant. "Healing and darkvision potions for
me!" says Kress. "Not a bad idea," says Igor, purchasing some
potions of darkvision for himself. "And this wand of light
curing is as good as fifty of those potions, Kress," says Brianna.
"Another good idea," says Igor, also purchasing one. Kress snorts.
"Copy cat!" Brianna laughs. "I also need these," she adds, selecting
four strips of ivory and several pounds of incense. "For what?" asks
Igor. "legend lore," responds the bard.

Late in the afternoon, their shopping finished, the group returns to
Randal Morn's manor. Each retires to his or her room and freshens up
as desired. Those that wish to bathe, do so. Igor dons his new suit
of bright fancy clothing. Brianna also dresses up in fancier
garments.

The adventurers come downstairs and are shown into Randal Morn's large
banquet hall, where a fete has been thrown in their honor. All of the
local dignitaries, visiting notables, and every bard in Daggerdale
attends. The lord's cooking staff has out-done itself: serving
delicacies and fine beverages of all kinds, pleasing to the palate of
all.

Brianna is fully in her element, gregariously mixing and talking with
all. She spends much time swapping tales and songs with the other
bards, listening with interest to all the news, rumors, and gossip
concerning what has happened in Faerûn in the five years since
she has been traveling the planes. In turn, she sings many songs and
tells many tales of her own experiences.

Igor also is popular. The tall, ruggedly handsome man cuts a dashing
figure and attracts favorable notice from more than one young lady.
However, he seems somewhat distracted, and seems to be paying
attention to Brianna's activities. Finally, after a particularly
outstanding performance by that lady, he seats himself by her side,
and, when her other admirers are distracted, speaks to her.

"Brianna, I could never get tired of watching you perform. You are
simply breathtaking," he says, taking her hand and squeezing it.

Brianna grins at him and squeezes back, before disengaging her hand
from his. "Thank you so much, Igor! Praise like that is, itself,
music to my ears."

Igor smiles at her and clears his throat. "I, ... um." He pauses,
clears his throat again, and starts afresh. "By the way, I've been
wondering. Are you and Veracity just friends?"

Brianna peers at him and arches her eyebrows. "I wouldn't use the word
'just' about friendship, Igor. Friends are important! But, to me,
she's not 'only' my companion, but also my partner: I want nothing
better than to be with her and share her life and her adventures. Go
ask her yourself, if you want to hear both sides, but if I'm reading
your real question correctly, the answer is 'no'. I'm taken."

"Damned," says Igor softly, shaking his head ruefully. He sighs and
gazes at her and then smiles. He winks. "No offense intended..."